Water Scarcity

11 Million People

have died as a consequence of drought and more than 2 billion have been affected by drought, more than any other physical hazard

1.6 billion people

live in countries and regions with absolute water scarcity and the number is expected to rise to 2.8 billion people by 2025.

Water Pollution

Around 70% of the industrial waste is dumped into the water bodies where they pollute the usable water supply. 80% of the water pollution is caused due to domestic sewage like throwing garbage on open ground and water bodies.

Fourteen billion pounds of garbage mostly plastic, is dumped into the ocean every year.

According to UNICEF, more than 3000 children die everyday globally due to consumption of contaminated drinking water.

15 million children under the age of five die each year because of diseases caused by drinking water.

On an average 250 million people worldwide succumb to diseases related to water pollution.

Public Health and Environmental Impact

Solid waste can be a breeding ground for insects, vermin, and scavenging animals, and can thus pass on air- and water-borne diseases. Waste can impact the health of lower food chain organisms and, consequently, the food chain.

In low-and middle-income countries, MSW is often dumped in low-lying areas and land adjacent to slums.

Lack of enforced regulations enables potentially infectious medical and hazardous waste to be mixed with MSW

Environmental threats include contamination of groundwater and surface water by leachate, as well as air pollution from burning of waste that is not properly collected and disposed.

Waste and Climate Change

GHG emissions from MSW have emerged as a major concern as post-consumer waste is estimated to account for almost 5% (1,460 mtCO2e) of total global greenhouse gas emissions. Solid waste also includes significant embodied GHG emissions.

Methane from landfills represents 12% of total global methane emissions (EPA 2006b). Landfills are responsible for almost half of the methane emissions attributed to the municipal waste sector in 2010

Methane, which has a Global Warming Potential 21 times greater than carbon dioxide, is the second most common greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide.

Waste-to-energy (WtE)

Is the process of generating energy in the form of electricity and/or heat from the management of waste. It is possible to produce energy from waste and other fuels without direct combustion. These technologies have the potential to produce more electric power from the same amount of fuel than would be possible by direct combustion.